Stationery item for use primarily with postal cards



Sept. 7, D. L. FANN STATIONERY ITEM FOR USE PRIMARILY WITH POSTAL CARDS Filed Aug. 29, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet l SHIELD Return Address:

Address g /y l (V INVENTOR DAVD L. FANN BY swsz Q ga /01 ATTORNEYS Sept. 7, 1965 D. L. FANN 3,204,987

STATIONERY ITEM FOR USE PRIMARILY WITH POSTAL CARDS Filed Aug. 29, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR DAVID L. FANN BY $2519L y ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,204,987 STATTUNERY HEM FGR USE PRKMARILY WlTH PUSTAL CARDS David L. Faun, R0. Box 5536, Roanoke, Va. lFiled Aug. 29, 1963, Ser. No. 305,325 lil Claims. (Cl. 282--) This invention relate to a novel stationery item or business forms which greatly facilitates the use of convenient postal cards in situations where it is desired to retain a copy of the mess-age and address which are placed on the ostal card. Thus the basic purpose of this invention is to render the use of a convenient method of communication even more convenient and at a considerable savings in time and expense.

There are innumerable instances in modern business practices where messages which normally are communicated by regular letter could be communicated more economically and more efficiently through the use of regular or specially provided postal cards. However, in almost every instance it is desirable, if not absolutely necessary, to retain a copy of the message. The problem of obtaining ready copies of postal card message has attracted the attention of inventors for many years, and several solutions have been proposed. Thus it has been proposed, for instance, to construct a special post card which is actually a doubly extended post card provided with an extension from one of its edges to be retained as a copy of the message on the post card roper. This device has several marked disadvantages. For instance, it was a specially manufactured item and could not be arranged so as to permit the use of standard United States post cards. Also, the arrangement required that the original message be written on the post card itself, and it wa necessary that the post card be of sufiicient thickness when doubled so as not to be torn or mutilated when handled by men and machines in the postal department. Because of this required thickness the device did not lend itself to the production and retention \of multiple copies, and indeed the single copy usually was not as clear and legible as might be desired in many instances. Finally, the post card of this prior exemplary device was not instantly ready for mailing after the message and address had been written, but rather it had to be folded, adhered, and an optional tab removed.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a stationery device which can be used with either regulation or special post-a1 cards, which permits one or more copies to be retained showing the address and message which were applied to the post card, which renders the post card instantly ready for mailing after the message and address have been written, which includes -a novel shield member to prevent the message from being impressed on the address side of the card and vice versa, and which is extremely eficient in use and economical in manufacture.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a device as set forth in the preceding paragraph which can be provided with prices, shipping information, or other such data 'on a detachable extension of the main member or on the shield member, and which can be provided with an extension to be grasped by a typewriter so as to permit substantially the entire surfaces of the card to be used.

Generally the invention comprises a substantially rectangular sheet of paper which has an impression transferring material or member extending over usually the lower portion of the sheet, and which has a shield portion of substantially one half the area of the main portion extending usually upwardly from the area of the edge of the main portion. The sheet is to be folded once along substantially the center of the main portion so a to have two surfaces of the impression transferring material in face-to-face relationship, between which a post card is to 'ice be inserted. The original message or address is to be written on the outside surfaces of the main portion, and the shield member is folded into position on one side or the other of the post card so as to prevent, for instance, the message from carrying through to the address side of the post card. Preferably a perforated or weakened line separates the shield from the main portion so as to facilitate detachment of the shield after the message or messages have been written on the main portion and thus on the card. The device can be manufactured and sold already folded, or it can be produced in its unfolded form and have simple directions printed thereon to indicate the folding lines. Alternatively, it can be produced as a complete item already folded and with the post card enclosed. As mentioned above, the post card can be a standard post card or one of special manufacture to meet the needs of the particular situation. The impression transferring means can be inexpensive one time carbon paper, or it can be an impression transferring material which is actually applied to the surface of the main portion.

Other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the message and address side of one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view taken from the opposite side of the view of FIG. 1, and shows the impression transferring material extending over the message and address portions of the device;

FIG. 3 is an elevational view of the device as oriented in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the device in its folded form, including a post card, with the post card partially extended for purposes of clarity;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along the lines 5-5 as shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the device showing the shield positioned on the opposite side of the post card from the position shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the device shown in the preceding figures, but with an added feature;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a portion of the device illustrating the use of an impression transferring material on the surface of the sheet, as opposed to the carbon paper sheets shown in the preceding figures;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of one arrangement permitting the production and retention of multiple copies.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown in the first few figures an embodiment of the invention which includes a substantially rectangular paper sheet 1 which is divided into an upper shield member 2, a middle address portion 3, and a lower message portion 4. The shield member 2 is bounded by a line 5 which preferably is a weakened or perforated line, although as will become apparent line 5 could be merely a fold line. The primary purpose behind providing a weakened or perforated line is to facilitate detachment of the shield member from the remainder of the sheet 1 after the device has been used in the intended manner. The address portion is bounded on one of its edges by the line 5 and on the other of its edges by a fold line 6. Line 6 comprises merely a line to indicate the location and direction of a fold. In fact, if the invention is produced or sold in an already folded form, element 6 would indicate the crease of the fold along this line. The message portion of the invention extends from line 6 and merges into an optional typewriter grasping space 7. As mentioned, grasping space 7 is an optional feature, and when used would preferably be separated from the message portion 4 by a weakened or perforated line along the lower edge of message portion 4 so as to facilitate ready detachment of grasping space 7 after it had served its intended purpose, that being to provide a space to be grasped by a typewriter so as to permit substantially the entire surface area of the message portion to be typed upon.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a sheet of ordinary carbon paper, preferably of the one time type extends over the back faces of the address and message portions 3 and 4, respectively. In the particular embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, the sheet of carbon paper 9 is attached to the shield member 2 above the perforated line and preferably is covered above the perforated line by an optional non-carbonized strip 8 so as to render the portion above the perforated line ineffective for transferring writing impressions. The carbon sheet 9 and the non-carbonized strip 8 can be attached to the shield in any convenient manner, for instance, by an adhesive material. As will become more clearly apparent hereinafter, the optional non-carbonized strip 8 permits substantially the entire address portion of the device to be written upon. Preferably, the carbon sheet 9 is perforated or weakened along line which is located correspondingly to line 5, so as to permit the shield member 2 to be easily detached from both the address portion 3 and the carbon sheet 9. However, it will be understood that perforated line 10 is primarily a feature of convenience, and in many instances it might be more desirable to omit perforated line 10 so as to have the entire carbon sheet detached with the shield member 2 from the remainder of the assembly. For instance, merely by grasping either portion 3 or 4 the shield member 2 and the carbon sheet 9 can be simultaneously detached for disposal. As shown in FIG. 2, the carbon sheet 9 is folded or is to be folded with address and message portions 3 and 4 along line 6.

In FIG. 4 the device is shown folded around a post card 11 in the address writing position. As shown more clearly in FIG. 5, the shield 2 has been folded into position between the post card 11 and the portion of the carbon sheet 9 which overlies the message portion 4. Thus when the address is written or otherwise imprinted on the address portion 3 it will be duplicated on the address side of the post card 11 by the portion of the carbon sheet 9 which overlies the address portion 3. If the shield member 2 were not in position substantially as shown, the address would also be impressed upon the message side of the post card by that portion of the carbon sheet 9 which overlies the message portion 4. However, as clearly shown in FIG. 5 any such impressions are placed upon the lower surface of the shield member 2 rather than on the message portion of the post card 11. It will also be clear from FIG. 5 that the non-carbonized strip 8 permits the user to write upon the extreme lefthand portion of the message portion 3 as viewed in FIG. 5 without having the writing duplicated on the message side of the post card by that portion of the carbon sheet 9 above the perforated line 5.

FIG. 6 shows the device arranged in the message Writing position. Thus by Writing the message on the message portion 4 the message will be duplicated by carbon sheet 9 on the message side of post card 11. However, the shield member 2 has now been refolded in position so as to lie between the address side of the post card 11 and that portion of the carbon sheet 9 which overlies the address portion 3. Any impressions that normally would carry through to the address side of the post card 11 are intercepted instead by the shield member 2.

FIG. 7 shows an embodiment of the invention which incorporates an optional feature which is often desirable when the device is used for business purposes. Thus an extension 12 of the main sheet 1 is provided and normally includes pertinent information such as prices, shipping weights, etc. which may be of value because of the particular use of the device. Preferably, but not necessarily, this extension 12 is easily detachable along weakened or perforated line 13. It should be apparent also that extension 12 quite often can be useful as a space upon which the user can make notations which he would not wish to appear on the post card 11. Since extension 12 is connected to the users permanent copy, the notations would become a part of the users permanent records. In such cases, it would probably be preferable to omit the perforated line 13.

FIG. 9 shows an embodiment which provides for the production and retention of multiple copies of both the address and the message which were applied to the post card. In order to accomplish this, it is necessary only to modify the embodiment shown in the preceding figures by the addition of a second paper sheet 14 and a second carbon sheet 9. The extra sheets preferably are arranged in a stacked relationship as shown in FIG. 9. In the particular arrangement of FIG. 9, it has been found convenient to provide a perforated line along the second sheet 14 in the immediate vicinity of the perforated line 5, and to omit any perforated line in carbon sheets 9 and 9. By this arrangement, the shield member 2 and the two carbon sheets 9 and 9 can be detached from the sheets 3 and 14 merely by detaching shield 2 along perforated line 5 and the perforated line in the corresponding position on sheet 14. It will be understood that a noncarbonized strip 8 as shown in FIG. 2 could be applied to that portion of the carbon sheet 9 which extends above the perforated line 5.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 8, the carbon sheet 9 has been replaced by an impression transferring material 15 applied to the device below the perforated line 5. The particular material 15 can be of any well-known type and can be applied to the surface of the paper sheet in a manner well known in the art. Thus the completed device according to the embodiment of FIG. 8 actually comprises a single sheet with folds or fold lines dividing the sheet into three substantially equal areas, two of which have a carbonized surface. It will be understood of course that in many situations it will not be necessary to apply the carbonized material to the entire surface areas of address and message portions 3 and 4, but rather the carbonized material could be applied only to specified areas where writing is to be placed.

It is believed that the manner of using the invention will be apparent from the foregoing description. Thus the post card is inserted with its message side adjacent the corresponding message portion of the device. When the address is to be written, the shield member 2 is folded into position against the message face of the post card. When the message is to be written, the shield member is folded into position against the address face of the post card. When both the message and the address have been written, the post card is ready for mailing, and by merely detaching the shield member the users file copy is ready for filing. It will be understood that the users copy can be filed in its unfolded form of double post card size or in its folded form of single post card size. It will be understood also that it is not absolutely necessary that the shield member be detached before filing the users copy, and especially in the embodiment shown in FIG. 8 it may be equally as convenient not to detach the shield member but rather to fold it into position between adjacent faces of the address and message portions 3 and 4.

Either or both of the invention and the card with which it is to be used can be manufactured in various sizes. Also, either or both can be printed up as business forms of various types, such as order forms, invoices, etc. As previously mentioned, the shield member can include pertinent printed data which are related to the particular use of the device.

The invention is susceptible of various modifications without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims. For instance, if the device is used as shown in FIG. 1 the typewriter grasping space 7 would be useful only when typing the message on the message portion of the device. However, merely by inverting the address instructions on the address portion of the device, the typewriter grasping space 7 would then render substantially the entire area of the address portion 3 available for typing. The entire device could be manufactured so as to fold around the short edges of the card rather than around the long edges as in the disclosed embodiments. When the device is to be used as a business form, both the device and the card could have the form lines printed thereon simultaneously by the crash printing method wherein printing applied to the outer surfaces of the address and message portions would carry through to the inserted card as a carbon copy.

Having thus fully described my invention in the manner required by the patent statures, I wish it to be understood that my invention is not to be limited to the particular embodiments disclosed in the drawings and described in the specification, but rather only by the subjoined claims as interpreted in the light of the specification and drawings.

1 claim as my invention:

1. A stationery device, comprising: a sheet of paper folded along a line so as to have two areas facing each other; impression transferring means extending over substantial portions of both of said areas; and shield means foldably extending from an edge of one of said areas for insertion between opposing faces of said impression transferring means substantially to said fold line so as to prevent simultaneous impression transfers to both faces of a member which may be inserted between opposing faces of said impression transferring material.

2. A stationery device for use with a separate mailing piece whereby reproduced writings can be placed on both sides of the mailing piece from original writings inscribed on surfaces of said stationary device so as to permit copies of said writings to be retained, comprising: a substantially rectangular paper member; means dividing said paper member into upper, middle and lower portions of substantially equal areas, said upper portion comprising a shield portion, adjacent faces of said middle and lower portions comprising first and second writing portions, respectively; means extending over said middle and lower portions on the side of said paper member opposite from said first and second writing portions for transfering writing impressions from said first and second writing portions to a member which may be disposed against the surface of said last mentioned means; said dividing means comprising fold lines at the upper and lower edges of said middle portion, whereby said paper member and said impression transferring means can be folded along the lower of said fold lines so as to bring adjacent portions of said impression transferring means into facing relationship, and whereby said shield portion can be folded along the upper of said fold lines so as to be positionable on either side of a mailing piece to be inserted between the faces of said impression transferring means.

3. A device as set forth in claim 2 further comprising means extending beyond the lower edge of said lower portion and forming a typewriter grasping member so as to permit substantially the entire areas of said first and second writing portions to be used when a typewriter is used to type messages thereon.

4. A device as set forth in claim 2 wherein said impression transferring means comprises a substance applied to the surface of said paper member.

5. A device as set forth in claim 2 wherein said impression transferring means comprises a sheet of carbon paper.

6. A device as set forth in claim 5 wherein said carbon paper is attached to the lower portion of said shield above the upper of said fold lines, and wherein the upper of said fold lines comprises a perforated line so as to facilitate detachment of said shield portion.

7. A device as set forth in claim 6 wherein said carbon paper is perforated along the same line as the perforated line forming the upper of said fold lines.

8. A device as set forth in claim 6 further comprising means covering the portion of said carbon paper above said perforated line so as to prevent said portion from transferring impressions.

9. A device as set forth in claim 2 further comprising a second substantially rectangular paper member attached to said device and extending downwardly over at least said middle and lower portions adjacent said impression transferring means, and second impression transferring means extending over at least the portion of said second paper member which extends over said middle and lower portions and on the side of said second paper member remote from the first said impression transferring means.

10. A stationery device for producing multiple copies, comprising: a substantially flat rectangular member having a smooth writing surface over at least a portion of one face thereof; one end portion of said member being folded back upon an adjacent portion of said member, the fold being in a direction away from said smooth writing surface, said folded end portion comprising a shield member; a second fold in said rectangular member parallel to and spaced from said first fold so as to form a first writing area between said two folds of substantially the same area as said shield member and a second writing area bounded on one side by said second fold, said second writing area also being of substantially the same area as said shield member, said second fold being toward the same side of said rectangular member as said first fold and bringing said first and second writing areas into facing relationship, said smooth writing surface of said rectangular member being coincident with and on the opposite face from said first and second writing areas; and impression transferring means extending over said first and second writing areas, whereby a member may be inserted between said first and second writing areas, impressions made on said smooth writing areas will be reproduced on the inserted member, and said shield member may be positioned between the inserted member and the impression transferring means over one of said writing areas so as to prevent impres sions being formed on both sides of the member from Writings on one portion of said smooth writing surface.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,393,213 10/21 Gilbert 28227.1 1,509,662 9/24 Barnett 28222 1,570,783 1/26 Schifiier 282--3 1,668,812 5/28 Kerr et a1. 28227.1 2,262,347 11/41 Sturc 28222 2,314,495 3/43 Hall 2828 2,323,832 7/43 Meras 28227.1 2,341,788 2/44 Jones 282--22 2,557,875 6/51 Kerr 28222 FOREIGN PATENTS 3,171 8/78 Great Britain.

EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner.

LAWRENCE CHARLES, Examiner. 

1. A STATIONERY DEVICE, COMPRISING: A SHEET OF PAPER FOLDED ALONG A LINE SO AS TO HAVE TWO AREAS FACING EACH OTHER; IMPRESSION TRANSFERRING MEANS EXTENDING OVER SUBSTANTIAL PORTIONS OF BOTH OF SAID AREAS; AND SHIELD MEANS FOLDABLY EXTENDING FROM AN EDGE OF ONE OF SAID AREAS FOR INSERTION BETWEEN OPPOSING FACES OF SAID IMPRESSION TRANSFERRING MEANS SUBSTANTIALLY TO SAID FOLD LINE SO AS TO PREVENT SIMULTANEOUS IMPRESSION TRANSFER TO BOTH FACES 